America's newest veterans are filing for disability benefits at a historic rate, claiming to be the most medically and mentally troubled generation of former troops the nation has ever seen.

A staggering 45 percent of the 1.6 million veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now seeking compensation for injuries they say are service-related. That is more than double the estimate of 21 percent who filed such claims after the 1991 Persian Gulf War, top government officials told The Associated Press.

What's more, these new veterans are claiming eight to nine ailments, on average, and the most recent ones over the past year are claiming 11 to 14. By comparison, Vietnam veterans receive compensation for fewer than four, on average, and those from World War II and Korea, just two.

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And yet congress continues to drag it's feet on fully funding the VA.

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More than 560,000 veterans from all wars currently have claims that are backlogged -- older than 125 days.
The VA's benefits chief, Hickey, gave these reasons:

Sheer volume. Disability claims from all veterans soared from 888,000 in 2008 to 1.3 million in 2011. Last year's included more than 230,000 new claims from Vietnam veterans and their survivors because of a change in what conditions can be considered related to Agent Orange exposure. Those complex, 50-year-old cases took more than a third of available staff, she said.

High number of ailments per claim. When a veteran claims 11 to 14 problems, each one requires "due diligence" -- a medical evaluation and proof that it is service-related, Hickey said.

A new mandate to handle the oldest cases first. Because these tend to be the most complex, they have monopolized staff and pushed up average processing time on new claims, she said.

Outmoded systems. The VA is streamlining and going to electronic records, but for now, "We have 4.4 million case files sitting around 56 regional offices that we have to work with; that slows us down significantly," Hickey said.

The only ones who benefit are the Military Contractors. The guys who actually do the fighting get the short end of the stick. They go to war and if they're lucky to survive they get sent back for another tour, in some cases 4 or more tours.

They come back missing arms, legs, horribly disfigured, minds shattered. And what about their family? Their loved ones? Their sweethearts who now have to struggle the rest of their lives with a person who is in most cases completely changed, mentally as well as physically?

Star,
you bring up some good and valid points.
At the risk of sounding like a total asshole, I am going to play devils advocate on this thread.

Why do you think the number of mental disability claims has skyrocketed over previous wars?
Could it potentially be because people have become so sensitized that we can't just accept the 'horrible' of war and move on? Are Iraqi's and Afghanistani's experiencing the same sort of spike in mental disability? Or are they so used to the horrors of war that they just move on? Did the Russians experience the same thing as the US way back when they warred with Afghanistan?

My intent is not to disparage our soldiers (i once was a soldier). I fully understand the need to support our injured soldiers and to give them all that they need for the sacrifices that they made.

The only ones who benefit are the Military Contractors. The guys who actually do the fighting get the short end of the stick. They go to war and if they're lucky to survive they get sent back for another tour, in some cases 4 or more tours.

They come back missing arms, legs, horribly disfigured, minds shattered. And what about their family? Their loved ones? Their sweethearts who now have to struggle the rest of their lives with a person who is in most cases completely changed, mentally as well as physically?

They get the V.A.. THAT'S what they get. Well I think that sucks.

Click to expand...

General Butler had it right.

Republicans are screwing our veterans out of their earned benefits;1) the Republican controlled congress refuses to fully fund the VA 2) if the right wing extremists on the SCOTUS overturn the Affordable Care Act, even more wounded warriors will fall through the cracks/chasms in a porous system.

One in 10 veterans under the age of 65 is currently living without health insurance and reports not using Veterans Affairs (VA) health care, according to a new study examining health care access for retired service members.

The report, which also found a high number of veterans&#8217; family members living without insurance, notes such rates are highest in states that have made little progress in implementing provisions of the Affordable Care Act. These states account for 40 percent of uninsured veterans.

Despite having higher rates of health insurance than the general population, &#8220;an estimated 1.3 million veterans lack health insurance coverage and do not use VA health care,&#8221; noted the study&#8217;s co-author, Genevieve Kenney, who points out a majority of uninsured veterans tend to be younger and less well educated.

The study, released Thursday by the non-partisan Urban Institute, comes as the nation awaits a Supreme Court decision on the fate of the ACA. A ruling is expected in June.

If [ACA] upheld, about 630,000 uninsured veterans under the age of 65 would likely qualify for Medicaid, the state and federal health insurance program for the poor, which would be expanded under the law. Under current law, just one in 10 qualifies for the program.

Tis is for all you Democrats who place blame on the Republicans and for all the Republicans who blame the democrats. It is both Parties stupid. Both parties fail in their obligations to the active force, the retirees and to the wounded veterans. Neither party nor the President has the moral courage to do what is necessary and right for all they can do is pontificate and place blame hoping to make themselves look good. We should give them all uniforms and send them to the frontline as infantrymen.
So speeketh the Sergeant Major

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